Transliteration:( Wa izi'tazal tumoohum wa maa ya'budoona illal laaha faawooo ilal kahfi yanshur lakum Rabbukum mir rahmatihee wa yuhaiyi' lakum min amrikum mirfaqa )
"And when you have separated [23] yourselves from them and from all that which they worship besides Allah, then take refuge [24] in the cave. Your Lord will unfold for you His mercy and will prepare an easy arrangement of your affairs [25]."
This means: “Do not stay with these disbelievers any longer. Let us leave them and seek a place of safety where we may engage in the worship of Allah Almighty without fear.”
From this we learn:
In times of fitnah (tribulation), it is better to withdraw from corrupt society to safeguard one’s faith.
The Companions of the Cave took a brave and sincere step for the sake of religion, abandoning worldly ties and seeking seclusion.
This verse teaches that:
It is forbidden to live among disbelievers under false pretences.
One must leave such places as soon as a safe opportunity arises, rather than pretending loyalty to them.
Allah says elsewhere:
“Is the earth of Allah not spacious enough for you to emigrate?”
The Companions of the Cave chose sincerity and truth over cowardice or deceit.
This means:
Allah will envelop you in His mercy, and
He will arrange ease in all your matters, because you remained firm in your faith.
This is a reminder that Allah’s support and facilitation follow those who struggle sincerely in His path.
The tafsir of Surah Kahf verse 16 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Kahf ayat 13 which provides the complete commentary from verse 13 through 17.
(18:16) And now that you have dissociated yourselves from them and from whatever they worship beside Allah, go and seek refuge in the Cave.[11] Your Lord will extend His mercy to you and will provide for you the means for the disposal of your affairs.”
11. When these God worshiping youths fled the habitations to take refuge in the hills, the city of Ephesus was the principal center of idol worship and sorcery in Asia Minor. There was a great temple dedicated to the goddess Diana, which was well known in the whole world and attracted devotees from far places. The sorcerers, workers of magic and occult arts, soothsayers and amulet writers of Ephesus were well known and their black business had spread throughout Syria and Palestine, even as far as Egypt. The Jews also had a big share in it, who attributed this art to Prophet Solomon. (Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature under Ephesus). The predicament in which the righteous people living in an environment of idolatry and superstition were involved can well be imagined from the remark of the companions of the cave that occurs in (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 20): If they succeed in over powering us, they will surely stone us to death or force us back into their faith.
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